- The Simplified Newsletter
- Posts
- Understanding NAD
If you are someone who enjoys the latest news relating to the field of longevity, then chances are you have heard of NAD. NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and it is a critical molecule that is used throughout our body for a variety of different functions. It is involved in everything from how we produce energy, repairing our DNA, and in antioxidant reactions. As I said, it is an important molecule. The issue is that we have learned that levels of NAD decrease as we age. This has given rise to the theory that boosting NAD levels may perhaps be the fountain of youth, or at least boost longevity. In this episode of the podcast/newsletter, we decided to look into this magical substance.
First of all, unless you are doing an intravenous injection of NAD, the most common way to go about boosting NAD levels is by taking an oral supplement which contains a more bioavailable NAD precursor. The two most common NAD precursors are NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and NR (nicotinamide riboside).
The biggest issue facing these supplements is whether or not they actually boost NAD levels inside the cell. NAD works inside the cell. So if taking these supplements only boost NAD levels in the blood (which they seem to do), but not inside the cell (which we have not consistently seen) then the question remains how effective can they actually be.
The next issue is whether or not these supplements actually increase lifespan. In humans, we have no idea. The best studies we have on mice come from a series of studies by the Interventions Testing Program at the National Institute on Aging which showed the supplementing with NR did not extend lifespan in mice. Here are the studies.
Another question regarding this issue is whether or not these supplements could boost cancer metastasis. A recently published mouse study showed that those supplementing with NR had increased cancer metastasis. This did not show that NR caused cancer, but rather increased it’s spread after the mice already had cancer.
If you are looking for some good news regarding these substances, there has been a few studies showing favorable outcomes with certain performance variables. For example, this one showing runners supplementing with NMN had increased VO2 after a 6 week trial. However, there was no difference in VO2 max and several other variables. We also discussed this study which showed supplementing with NMN boosted NAD blood levels, had favorable results in an AI biological age calculator, and increased walking distance in a 6 minute walking test. We discussed the issues with this study on the podcast, but at least it was favorable to NMN supplementation.
Simplified Takeaways…
NMN and NR are both supplements that increase NAD in the body.
NAD is a critical substance that our body needs and it decreases as we age.
We are not sure whether NMN and NR supplementation actually increases NAD inside the cell, which is where it’s needed.
It has not been shown consistently in mice that NMN or NR supplementation increases lifespan in mice.
There are some limited performance variables that seem to benefit from NMN supplementation, but more research is needed.
A lot of the benefits of these supplements are still theoretical.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advise. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advise for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.